Memory Lane
by Mad-and-Hairy
Summary: It's Steve's birthday and he is caught up in memories of when he was a child. Tony decides that maybe Steve just needs to make some new memories. Stony


"Sup Capsicle? Why the long face?" Tony asked, as he popped his head into Steve's bedroom. "I figured that for you the fourth of July would be like your birthday. You're Captain America for Christ's sake. You should be out there having a good time."

"First off Tony, today is my birthday, and I don't mean Captain America's. I mean Steve Rogers, a kid from Brooklyn. And secondly, I was out there. All morning! I was out there parading around in my uniform while you were flying around." He explained his voice a little harsher than normally.

"Today is your birthday! That is just. Wow. You really were born to be Captain America." Tony joked. "And that's not what I meant. Why doesn't Steve Rogers, a nobody from Brooklyn, go out and have some fun."

"Because, there are too many memories out there, and the world is too different to be comforted by them." He sighed. "For example, every year my mom and I would walk to this one particular bakery. They had the best chocolate chip cookies, and on the fourth of July they put little icing flags on them. So we'd get up early and buy a whole dozen. We always promised to save some for the others, but we never did. Ate them all on the way home." He smiled fondly at the memory. Tony smirked.

"Rogers meet me downstairs in like ten minutes." Tony told Steve, not leaving any room for argument. Steve just nodded, his eyebrows furrowed. Tony ignored him and ran up to his room to change into something more casual. He ordered JARVIS to find out if the bakery was still in business. When he finally got to the lobby, Steve was waiting there awkwardly.

"Here put this on." Tony tossed a baseball cap Steve's way. "Last thing we need is unwanted distraction." Tony pulled out a beanie, and pulled it on, placing a pair of dark sunglasses on afterwards.

"Where are we going?" Steve asked, following the genius out of Stark Towers through a back door.

"You'll have to follow me to find out." Tony's Stark phone beeped and he looked at the screen with a pleased grin. "Amazing as always JARVIS." He cheered before following the AI's instructions. Steve followed behind him quietly, willing to just go with the flow. Stark would be a nice distraction.

"C'mon Steve." Tony called over his shoulder, "I figured you'd be able to catch up." Steve laughed, but jogged the few steps over to where Tony waited.

"Sorry, just lost in thought." He apologized and Tony just shook his head.

"You apologize too much, my friend." Tony replied, sounding like his father to Steve's ears.

"Uh, Tony." Steve began, a bit uncertain how to approach this topic. Ever since he found out that Tony was Howard's son he wanted to ask Tony about him. But after approaching Bruce with his dilemma and finding out that Tony and Howard didn't get along, he decided against it. He attempted many times to use the computer to find out about Howard, but JARVIS always persuaded him from doing so, saying that Tony would find out eventually and would feel betrayed. They didn't understand his need to find out what had happened in his friend's life. He needed to fill in the missing pieces. And now seemed like the best opportunity. While Steve debated how to approach the subject, Tony just eyed him knowingly.

"I figured you'd ask about him sooner or later." Tony began, his eyes staring straight ahead. "From what I was told, you too were good friends, which is saying something because my father didn't have "friends." No one could stand to be near him for more than an hour." Tony continued, while Steve matched him step for step.

"Yeah, he was quite a character." Steve added with a brilliant smile. Tony chuckled bitterly.

"I wouldn't really know." He sighed, "By the time I came along, well...he wasn't that big a fan of me. I was always getting in the way, messing with his inventions. All I wanted was his attention. I thought he hated me until a few years ago."

"What happened a few years ago?" Steve asked, his curiosity getting the best of him, but he had never seen Tony so willing to offer up information about himself. This opportunity might never come again.

"A few years ago I was dying, again. And as a dying man, I...well I made a lot of bad choices. Well Nick Fury intervened, telling me that he had been working on something big, and that something could save my life. So I was put on house arrest and given a giant metal case that belonged to my father. It had a bunch of odds and ends in it from S.H.I.E.L.D. along with his journal, and videos." He explained to the soldier, who just stood there absorbing all this information. "Well on one of those videos he left a message for me. Telling me that I was his greatest creation," Tony rolled his eyes, "Bastard didn't have the balls to say it to my face when he was alive." Steve didn't know how to respond.

"I'm sorry Tony," he began but the inventor just held up his hand.

"It's not your fault. Well it sorta is your fault, but not entirely." He replied, in a joking manner.

"Did he ever, mention me?"

"Hah! You sound like an ex-lover." Tony outright laughed, "But he did more than mention you. He became obsessed with finding you, putting all his efforts into bringing your body back. He would share the stories of every encounter he ever had with you to anybody who was willing to listen. He wanted to make sure that you were remembered and not another forgotten hero. He kept a bunch of your old stuff, shields, helmets, drawings, and anything that had a connection to you. Donated them to a bunch of museums when he died." Steve stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, people jostling him as they rushed past.

"You must hate me." He whispered, and Tony almost didn't hear it over the sounds of the city.

"I did. Oh believe me I did." He answered, "But I don't anymore. And to prove that I don't hate you, look over there." Steve was confused, but he looked none the less and his jaw dropped. There, still open for business, was the bakery.

"Oh! Tony!" Steve shouted, before wrapping his arms around Tony's body, swinging him in the air. Tony grabbed onto the blonde for support as he laughed at his friend. "I can't believe it!" he put Tony down, a bit awkwardly. "Sorry," he mumbled, his cheeks turning pink. Tony just shrugged, leaving his arms around the other the man's waist. Steve smiled down at him, his blue eyes looking a bit hesitant. Tony rolled his eyes before leaning up, and pressing his lips against Steve's mouth. The soldier sighed into the kiss, pulling Tony closer and kissing him back. They pulled apart when a couple of pedestrians told them to get a room.

"C'mon Cap, let's get some patriotic cookies." They held hands as they crossed the street. The baker was crowded, but they didn't have to wait in line long. They purchased a dozen cookies, and Tony paid for them since it was Steve's birthday. Once outside of the shop Tony opened the bag and pulled out one of the cookies.

"They haven't changed the design." Steve remarked, as Tony stared at the thick chocolate chip cookie. The icing flag was smudged, but Steve didn't care. He took the cookie from Tony's hand and bit into it.

"So, does it taste the same?" Tony asked, taking a bite out a cookie himself.

"Nope, as delicious as the last one I had." Steve finished the cookie and fished out another one.

"These really are good." Tony agreed, after stuffing the rest of the cookie in his mouth. He grabbed Steve's hand with his free one, and smiled up at him. "Happy Birthday Steve." Steve smiled down at him. Thinking about all the times he ate these exact cookies with his mother. All the memories he had, and the new ones he'd have with Tony.

"Thanks Tony." Steve replied, leaning down and capturing the smaller man's lips with his own.

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